Bringing light to darkness
Youth hit the streets of Sao Paulo to bring awareness to the horrors of child abuse and trafficking.
In Latin America, a child is abused every 15 seconds—that is more than 2 million children every year.
SAO PAULO, Brazil – It was a gathering for a single purpose—to shed light on a dark subject.
Hundreds of youth filled the streets of 11 different cities across Brazil, each holding a flickering candle stretched high for all to see. Every 15 seconds, a small group extinguished their candles until only darkness remained.
It was a symbolic way of recognizing the startling statistic—every 15 seconds a child in Latin America is sexually abused.
But the crowd did not leave the streets in darkness. Instead, the candles were relit and the light quickly spread throughout the assembly, symbolizing the hope that there will be an end to child sexual abuse in Latin America.
At rallies, young people and community members alike listened to OBI teams speak about child sexual abuse, encouraging children, teenagers, the community and the government to get involved in finding a solution. Some teens even covered their mouths with tape and held signs in a silent plea for change.
This is the third year that Operation Blessing Brazil has sponsored the youth event to raise awareness about child sexual abuse.
“The event gives the youth courage to speak about child sexual abuse. It also makes them believe that they can change the world and that together we can have a better future,” said Daniel, a young man with a heart for the hurting children of Brazil.
The 11 cities chosen to host the event this year are also slated to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup—the type of event that can often bring sexual tourism and is likely to increase the nation’s already significant problem.
“We were in a world conference for youth workers and we talked to some missionaries from Africa,” said Camila Goreti, OB Brazil staff. “They were talking about the number of kids who were brought to Africa during the World Cup because of the child sexual exploitation, so we decided to try to prevent this from happening in Brazil too.”
The event this year was held in Sao Paulo, Curitiba, Salvador, Fortaleza, Recife, Natal, Cuiaba, Belo Horizonte, Juiz de Fora, Londrina and Manaus. More than 30,000 people attended the city-wide events to listen to speakers and support awareness.
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